There has been known the technique of turning over a minute object by rotating a regular size arm using a regular size bearing and the technique of performing a necessary process on a minute work in a working device by rotating an arm or tool along an arcuated guide (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-256575).
In a conventional apparatus like those described above, if a minute object is not located on the rotation axis of a bearing or arcuated guide, the minute object moves out of the visual field or depth of focus of a microscope when it is turned over. This makes it necessary to position the microscope and minute object again.
Using an arm mechanism similar in size to a manipulation target object may relatively facilitate alignment. However, many micro-actuators suitable for micro-mechanisms are made of linearly expandable materials such as piezoelectric materials and shape-memory alloys. In addition, it is difficult to manufacture rotary motors and the like which are small enough to be suitable for micro-mechanisms, because they have complicated structures. Furthermore, it is difficult to manufacture minute bearings and minute arcuated guides. This leads to relatively large backlash and the poor operability of manipulators. Under the circumstances, there have been no micro rotating mechanisms which are manipulated under microscopic observation.
Moreover, when the force of a microactuator which linearly expands/contracts is to be converted into a large-angle rotational action, a linear/rotational motion conversion mechanism for converting a minute linear motion into a rotational motion, a speed increasing mechanism for increasing a small-angle rotational motion to a large-angle rotational motion, and the like are required. As a consequence, the overall mechanism becomes complicated, and hence becomes difficult to be small and compact.